Saltgirl’s last blog post..My tv boyfriend

I solely nursed my son to 6 months, but I was ready to quit at 5. I continued only because he had an infection, and I felt like nursing him was the healthiest thing I could do for him. I soley nursed my daughter to 5 months, then went back to work, and nursed/formula fed until 8 months. I will nurse baby #3, for as long as I can stand it.

Breastfeeding is not natural or easy. The first 8 weeks are especially hard. I aplaud all who give it a shot, and don’t fault those who don’t/can’t breastfeed, whatever their reason.

Surprised Spectator’s last blog post..Kickboxing with McCloud

Yes, I breastfed both of my children, but they each only got 8 months from me.

My Grandma did not nurse any of her six children, born in 1953 through 1960.

Mrs. F’s last blog post..To Say Hello or Not?

Missy’s last blog post..What’s in My Closet Meme

1. Did your mom nurse or use formula with you/her children (elaborate as necessary). She used formula and I was on rice within a couple of weeks too. And yes, my blood sugar is jacked all over the place. Can we say HYPOGLYCEMIC?

2. Did you choose to nurse or use formula with your child/children (elaborate as necessary). As I said, I tried to nurse the first two. Rejected. Wouldn’t take pumped milk either. Didn’t even try with my third. I wanted to skip that added stress (and tears!) the third time.

3. If you nursed, how long did you nurse your child/children (elaborate as necessary). My first two I tried in the hospital, Firstborn was losing weight so the nurses brought in formula for husband to supplement. I pumped as much as possible with both. Went home and continued to try after being in the hospital 3 days (all were c-sections–yet another area I failed in) Tried another couple of days and couldn’t handle the thought that my children were hungry and I couldn’t feed them. Totally messed with my psyche. I gave up and went to the formula. Again. I PUMPED and they still rejected my milk. They took the forumla right away.

Sleeping Mommy’s last blog post..35 years, yo.

She is fully supportive of my bf Little Man; we’re nine + months in, with a few weeks of EP/learning to nurse in the NICU.
I plan on nursing as long as he wants to, or until I get really tired of it (heheh), but definitely over a year.
It never occurred to me that it wouldn’t work — but we both worked REALLY hard at making it work.

Even though my mom is an experienced bf, she didn’t really help me learn or give me advice — just acknowledged that it is a LOT of HARD WORK to keep up, and gave me moral support — told me how proud she was of me, etc. Which DOES count for a lot.

My MIL nursed one baby, not the other two, b/c it wasn’t the fashion when the other two were born (early 70’s).

I would agree that if you think feeding a baby is done a certain way, you’re more likely to do it that way.

I used a nipple shield exclusively for three months, and it took me a month of attempts to get him fully off the shield. While on the shield, he could switch b/n bottle and breast easily. Once off the shield, it was breast only all the time. Maybe you could try a shield to get him taking from the boob, and slowly wean off like I did.
I am more than happy to answer more questions/give you support, etc.

Best,
VDog

My son is nearly 20 months old and I’m still nursing him — just a bedtime feed. The only mothers I know who don’t or didn’t breastfeed couldn’t; they’d tried but the baby just couldn’t figure it out or the milk supply just wasn’t there.

I was a bit militant about breastfeeding in public… not that I sought those situations out but I refused to feel marginalized and I promised myself I’d never feed my child in a bathroom. And those hooter hiders (love the name!) just seemed silly. Not that I ever judged a woman for using one — you gotta do what you gotta do — but I never felt the need, my son never tolerated it, and I couldn’t figure them out really. I’ve blogged a fair amount about breastfeeding, especially in public; it’s a category on my blog I think.

I think support is crucial, from anyone, but also that too much pressure is a VERY bad thing. A happy mother is WAY more important than a breastfeeding mother. I also think mat leave is the missing ingredient in the US. I couldn’t imagine going back to work after six or eight weeks or even three months. And I certainly couldn’t imagine pumping.

Before I sign off, I must say I find your experiences and feelings on the subject fascinating and I think I will have to blog about how I felt with all those hands on my boobs in those early days… maybe tomorrow.